Nee Dhaarey Nee Katha (2024) Movie Review: Well-Intentioned but not so Well-Executed

The good thing about Vamsi Jonnalagadda’s “Nee Dhaarey Nee Katha” (2024) is that the film wears its heart on its sleeve. It is not entirely unpleasant when a film’s desire to disassociate itself from the average mass-produced entertainers turns into desperation. For “Nee Dhaarey Nee Katha,” the desperation begets an ambition that proves a little lofty for Jonnalagadda. The film fails to become a magnificently artistic depiction of an artist’s pangs, as it so intends. However, despite falling short, the efforts made to reach the halfway mark deserve plaudits.

It becomes clear from the get-go what “Nee Dhaarey Nee Katha” intends to do. The script, written by Jonnalagadda and Muralikanth Devasoth, is not exactly subtle about it. The story desires to paint the tussle between dreams and sustenance. The Dead Poets Society-like rendition of the dichotomy between what we need to live and what we live for is the driving force in the story. Arjun (Priyatam Manthini) is a talented music composer. He has been at the Juilliard School of Music. It goes without saying that he deserves more than being another composer’s assistant.

With his friends Vijay (Vijay Vikranth) and Rahul (Ananth Padmasola), Arjun forms an Orchestra group to enter a Symphony competition. Apart from composing the music, Arjun is a deft pianist too. Rahul is the conductor of the group, while Vijay is on violin. They have a cellist, too; the rest they recruit as they go. As mentioned, “Nee Dhaarey” is intended to be a story about dreamers, for dreamers. However, life and a lack of generational wealth do come in the way of dreams. So, when Rahul chooses his employer’s offer to relocate to the United Kingdom, he could not say no. This is something Arjun fails to understand, as his house is good enough to be the country’s premier heritage hotel.

Essentially, the film hinges on Arjun’s relentless pursuit of his musical dreams. So, it was an odd choice for the story to spend a lot of time dilly-dallying in a variety of subplots. Sometimes for the sake of humor. Sometimes to emphasize an already-etched point. Apart from one genuinely funny interaction where a commercial film director narrates a highly melodramatic scene for Arjun and Vijay to provide background music for, most of the humor does not land. Effectively, “Nee Dhaarey,” for a significant amount of time, meanders and fails to take off. It felt like it would probably never take off.

Thankfully for the film, the story does stop meandering when its central character is faced with some unexpected challenges. However, it comes late in the film. Jonnalagadda’s dialogues often resort to straight-up sermons rather than effective conversations. There are a few genuine moments where Jonnalagadda manages to pull the right string with his dialogues, but those are often interspersed with artificial preaching. Also, for a film to be about music, the film often feels out of sync with its music. There is a tendency to overdo it when it comes to using music. Having said that, the final performance was beautifully captured. It would be remiss not to mention that.

For “Nee Dhaarey,” its protagonist is the film’s heart. Despite his wealth, Arjun is a likeable hero with a dewy-eyed dream. Unfortunately, Priyatam Manthini is not exactly at the top of his game. His line delivery is passable, and the film needed it to be much more. Manthini is often overshadowed by his co-actors, who all produce more believable turns. Suresh, who plays Arjun’s doting father, elevates the father-son scenes. Those are some of the brightest moments in the film.

Two other contributors who deserve praise are cinematographer Alex Kao and editor Vipin Samuel. Kao’s sure-footed camera with bold compositions polishes a significantly professional shine on “Nee Dhaarey.” Editor Vipin Samuel stitches the film together with some stylish transitions. The film’s noticeably stylish sheen is largely down to its cinematographer and editor. “Nee Dhaarey Nee Katha” is not a bad film. For all its faults, the film’s earnest conviction to champion dreaming is something one cannot help but be swayed by. Here’s to hoping it proves to be a passable stepping stone for greater things from Vamsi Jonnalagadda. Also, the film’s minimalistic opening title sequence is a bonus.

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Nee Dhaarey Nee Katha (2024) Movie Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes

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